The return of land in the City of Mission to three local First Nations was finalized last week.
The land transfer is the implementation of the Í:xel Sq'eq'ó Agreement (“Together We Paddle”) that was signed in 2021 by the Leq'á:mel Máthxwi Semá:th Society (LMS), the City of Mission and the province.
The agreement returns 60 hectares of land, which sits adjacent to the grounds of St. Mary’s Residential School, to LMS.
LMS announced the transfer in a news release on Thursday (Jan. 23), saying leadership and members of the three Nations are celebrating the long-awaited return of land.
According to the release, the lands have been subdivided with nearly 50 hectares to be leased to the City of Mission to manage for public use as a community park and recreational area. Two parcels are planned for residential and commercial development by LMS.
“We are thrilled to see these lands finally returned to the rightful owners,” Leq'á:mel councillor and LMS chair Darrel McKamey said.
“We look forward to the continued protection of the park as a space for recreation and public education and, through our newly formed LMS Development Corporation, to the development of our two parcels for the benefit of our Nations, the citizens of Mission, and all British Columbians.”
After almost 15 years of work, Máthxwi Chief Alice McKay said this transfer is just the beginning.
“We must continue to take back our rightful place on our traditional lands, and this transfer shows that as leaders, we are taking this responsibility very seriously,” McKay said.
“Our ancestors are smiling down on us today”, added Semá:th Chief Dalton Silver, “our title lands were never surrendered, and we will continue to work to ensure that they are returned, not only for us, but for seven generations ahead of us.”
LMS was formed in 2015 with a mandate “to acquire, manage, develop, maintain and/or protect certain common lands for the education and benefit of our First Nation communities and the wider public.”
Discussions are ongoing regarding the second phase of the renewed relationship between LMS, Mission and the province. According to the news release, those discussions include establishing LMS as a key driver of economic development in Mission, particularly in delivering housing.
Leq'á:mel Chief Alice Thompson says there is still much work to be done.
“We have identified further lands in Mission for return, and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners in the province and the City of Mission on the next phase of our work.”
LMS said a celebration to recognize the transfer is being planned for the spring.
